Her mouth opened and then closed again. “No one, I guess. Still, I’m impressed.”
He scoffed. “Your praise is meaningless.”
She rolled her eyes.
Gritting his teeth, he strode away. Just days ago, she’d been cowering at the sight of him. Now she rolled her eyes blatantly before him.
“Where are you going?” she asked just as his fingers curled around the door handle.
He glared at her over his shoulder. She’d never asked him questions, and now suddenly, she was full of them and fearless in their delivery.
“I am a Duke of Hell,” he reminded her haughtily. “I rule a vast territory.”
“I know, but—” She paused and seemed to be reconsidering her question. But she pressed on. “What does that entail?”
“If you’re trying to discover weaknesses in my defenses, I assure you—”
She scoffed, and his eyes narrowed at her impudence. “I don’t care about that,” she said. “We have a bargain. So aslong as you’re not trying to kill or torture me, we’re good, remember? I’m asking because I’m curious, that’s all.”
“You know what they say about curiosity.”
She shrugged. “The cat may be dead, but at least it lived a good life on its way out. I’d rather die curious than live in fear.”
A laugh escaped him before he could stifle it. Only she would think that. He’d never met a more brazen person.
He found himself answering her question. “My souls patrol the boundaries of my territory, but I must regularly check the perimeters and refresh the wards so the magic remains strong.”
“You don’t have servants for that?”
“Demons are some of the most incompetent, witless creatures in creation.”
“Not all of them.” She gave him a pointed look.
Was she calling him intelligent? Of course he was. He didn’t need veiled compliments to point that out. “The ones that aren’t dim-witted are rulers of their own territories. Half the challenge of being among the Order of Thrones is managing the vacuous minds of one’s legions.”
“So you don’t trust them with important tasks like monitoring your borders. You have to do everything yourself. But you still let them live here, free of charge.”
She made it sound like he was performing a charity. He made a sour face. “They obey my commands when I give them. If they don’t, I impale them on the tower spikes. Have you already forgotten what lies beyond the window you so diligently cleaned?”
She winced.
“Perhaps I should give you a tour of the rest of the dungeon to remind you what I do with people who challenge me,” he continued. “I believe you missed some of my favorite rooms.”
“Okay, I get it. You’re evil and terrifying.” She looked unimpressed, and that irritated him.
“I’ll be commencing the first steps of the ritual tomorrow,” he decided. It was time to finish this and return this recalcitrant witch from whence she came. “You will be available to assist me, as you vowed.”
She nodded. “Anything I need to do to prepare?”
“Keep your blood in your body until I need it.”
He turned and opened the door, but once again, her damned voice stopped him.
“Murmur?”
“What?” he snapped, annoyed with himself for listening to her as much as he was annoyed with her for stalling him.
“Thanks for the books.”
